An Association of Computerized Data Processing, Image Processing of Aerial Photographs, GPS Measurements, GIS: The Princely Site of Vix and Its Surroundings

An association of computerized data processing, image processing of aerial photographs, GPS measurements, GIS : the princely site of VIX and its surroundings. The aerial researches in archaeology which have been carried out for about forty years in France by a team based in Dijon, have generated more than 60 000 pictures. The management, processing and conservation of such a huge number of documents make compulsory the use of computers for digitization, image processing, classification, cartography. The example considered here deals with the princely site of Vix and its surroundings, as part of a common program of international interdisciplinary research. Such an archaeological study about a territory requires the inventory of the sites and their characterisation. In this context, the contribution of aerial photography is essential. The study of Vix and its surroundings was done partly through the setting up of a GIS, which demanded the integration of the archaeological data gathered through aerial photography. The mode consists in organizing the archaeological data revealed by aerial photographs. This requires the definition of a mode of operation to extract the information of the photographs and integrate it into a GIS. The mode of operation falls into several parts: GPS acquisition of the control points on the field, rectification of the aerial photographs, georeferencement of the aerial photographs, digitization of the visible archaeological structures and integration / organization in a GIS This study about Vix is a relevant example of how to manage and use data made up of aerial photographs through the association of several methods and tools.